The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources in Oyo State, Mr. Isaac Ishola, has said that the enforcement of sanitation laws prohibiting dropping of refuse on median stripes or by roadsides would begin in the next one month.

Quoting the state’s sanitation and waste control regulation, 2013, No. 6 Vol 38, Section 4, prohibiting anyone against dropping litter anywhere except as statutorily provided by the state government, Ishola said offenders will henceforth be arrested and tried by the just constituted environment mobile courts.

Consequently, he noted that it was mandatory for individuals, households, communities, corporate bodies, and market places to patronise private waste collectors to dispose their waste.

Prior to enforcement, he said that a sensitisation campaign was set to commence to warn residents of sanctions for dropping refuse in unauthorised spots. He lamented the penchant of all strata of residents in the state to flout environmental regulation laws.“The state’s environmental regulation law prohibits the dropping of waste in unauthorised places, like on median stripes and by roadsides. The law is that every individual, household, market, company should have its own private waste collector.

“It’s common to see people driving big vehicles, suddenly stop in the middle of the road to drop their refuse. No one will be spared, when we begin enforcement.

“The people are being given the next one month to get their private waste collector and then we will begin enforcement. Our plan is to embark on sensitisation for the next one month, warning residents of the sanctions for dropping refuse in unauthorised places. The mobile courts are ready and we will henceforth arrest those who drop their litter in unauthorised places.”

On the recent piling up of filth on medians across Ibadan, the state capital, he noted that the vehicles of the Oyo State Waste Management Authority meant to the pack the filth had been fuelled and fixed to evacuate the dirt.